Roasted Branzino With Citrus Pesto Food

GREEK-STYLE ROASTED BRANZINO RECIPE

Steps:

• Adjust a rack in the center of your oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Pat the fish. With a sharp knife, make two slits on both sides of the fish. Rub the fish with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides, inserting the seasoning through the slits and in the fish cavity.
• Stuff the fish cavity with the sliced onion and lemon.
• Roast in the center rack of your heated oven for 5 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes or until the fish is cooked and flakes easily. Turn the broiler on and place the fish about 6 inches from the heat source for 3 to 4 minutes or until the skin chars.
• While the fish is cooking, prepare the Greek ladolemono sauce.
• As soon as the fish is finished, remove it from the oven. Transfer the fish to a serving platter and drizzle immediately with as much of the ladolemono sauce as you like, making sure to add some of the sauce all over the cavity part as well. Toss the cherry tomatoes with a little salt and spoon them over the fish (you can drizzle a bit of the sauce again all the tomatoes). Finish with fresh dill. Serve immediately.

ROASTED BRANZINO WITH LEMONS

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
• Lay a piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet. Spray the foil with vegetable oil cooking spray. Lay the fish fillets, skin side down on the foil in a single layer and season with salt and pepper, to taste. In a small bowl, mix together the lemon zest, fennel fronds and thyme. Spoon the mixture over the fish. Arrange the lemon and fennel slices on top of the fish and sprinkle with the cooked pancetta. Pour the wine on top. Lay another piece of foil on top and crimp the edges of both pieces to form a packet. Roast until the flesh is flaky and cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove the top piece of foil. Put the cooked lemon slices and fennel on a platter. Carefully transfer the fish to the platter on top of the fennel and lemon slices. Garnish with parsley and serve.

GRILLED BRANZINO WITH BASIL, LIME AND GINGER

Steps:

• Make the marinade. Preheat a grill to medium high. Meanwhile, combine the lime zest, ginger, shallot, olive oil, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper in a bowl.
• Stuff the fish. Thinly slice 1 lime. Stuff the slices into the cavity of each fish along with the basil leaves and ginger slices. Set aside half of the marinade for serving, then brush the rest on the fish. Season inside and out with kosher salt and pepper.
• Grill the fish. Preheat a grill to medium high and brush the grates with vegetable oil. Transfer the fish to the grill and cook until the skin starts to crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not move the fish or the skin will stick to the grill. To flip the fish, place a spatula under the head end and use tongs to hold the cavity closed; gently roll the fish over. Cook the fish on the other side until the skin is crisp, 5 to 7 more minutes. Check the eyes: When they're both white, the fish is done. Transfer to a platter. Cut the remaining 4 limes in half; grill cut side down until caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the platter.
• Fillet the fish. Using a fork and starting at the tail end, peel back the skin from one side of the fish; discard. Run a knife along the back of the fish to separate the top and bottom fillets. Use the knife to remove any additional skin along the back. Using a spoon, gently loosen and lift the top fillet away from the bottom fillet. Lift the head and use the spoon to carefully separate the spine from the bottom fillet. Discard the tail, head and stuffing. Remove and discard the skin from the bottom fillet. Repeat with the second fish.
• Serve. Drizzle the fillets with the reserved marinade; finish with some olive oil and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve with the grilled limes and more basil.

BAKED BRANZINO WITH CITRUS GREMOLATA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a large rimmed baking sheet with olive oil.
• Arrange the fillets on the baking sheet in one layer. Drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the fish and season with salt and black pepper. Bake until the fish is flaky and just fully cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely grate the zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange into a small bowl and add the parsley, good olive oil, red pepper flakes, a pinch of salt, a few grinds of black pepper, juice of half the lemon and juice of half the orange. Stir gently to combine.
• Slice the remaining lemon and orange. Serve the fish topped with the gremolata and citrus slices.

ROASTED BRANZINO WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pat fish dry; rub cavity and skin with oil, then season generously with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with lemon slices and a few sprigs of thyme. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet, standing fish upright (cavity-side down); anchor in place with 3 lemon wedges along each side. Scatter remaining thyme sprigs around fish.
• Roast until fish is just cooked through, 17 to 22 minutes, depending on size. Fillet fish and serve with roasted lemon wedges or one of the fish sauces.